Watneys through the years

Watneys was once the UK’s biggest selling beer. It’s a brand with an amazing past, and we are looking to give it an amazing future too. As well as owning thousands of pubs, and the brands that became what is now Diageo (the spirits giant), Watneys had some great beers, and some iconic marketing.

The Watney Cup was the first sponsored football tournament in the UK, with Derby County winning the final in 1970 against Manchester United.

Watneys Red Barrel was on the bar in Fawlty Towers, featured in famous Monty Python sketches, and even ‘On The Buses’.

Meet the Team

Nick Whitehurst

I’ve loved beer since I can remember, and have been involved in the industry all the way back to 1994 when I used to organise taste tests for Stella to see if people could tell Stella made in Belgium from Stella made in Wales! I’m really proud to be looking after the Watneys brand now (made in London in case you wondered), and can’t wait to see what the future holds!

I started my career in a brewery but have spent the last 15 years in big FMCG businesses. As the Director of a scale UK organisation, I honed my commercial skills. Now I’m back in beer & its good to be back. It’s a great industry to work in, an exciting time for craft beer & Watneys. It’s a rare thing to work with a brand with such a fascinating history. Re inventing Watneys & doing it with friends is something pretty special. I’m looking forward to using what I’ve learnt but spending less time in a board room and more in a brewery!

I joined this wonderful industry is 1993, working in the commercial team for Courage Limited. Ironically my induction to the business was facilitated at the Stag Brewery, Mortlake, the original home of Watneys! Shortly after I moved into the sales team and worked throughout the mergers and acquisitions of both Scottish & Newcastle and HeinekenUK. The fond recollection of the Watneys brand by retailers and consumers alike, has resulted in our determination to return this brewing icon to the market for a new generation of drinkers to enjoy!